I’ll go on loving someone else
by So Guhn
Summary: sooner has never been so later. an AU fic to Stage 21/22. lelouch x euphemia.
1. Chapter 1

a/n: Written as a... challenge from cal reflector who asked me to write Lelouch/Euphemia "happy". It turned out to be one big mess. Uhm. A planned multi-chapter mess. This story takes place in an alternate setting from what happened during Stage 21/22. Instead of massacre there's going to be a wedding, and fluff, and mush, and romantic sappiness and ohgodwhydidIwritethis. Yes, I am a shameless evangelion fan btw.

_I'll go on loving someone else_ **; PG13 - romance/drama/humour - Lelouch x Euphemia**

"Chapter one - mister and misses automatic"

She pulls his mask down in the darkened room, babbled noise in the back of their minds, the alighted shadow of the power droning to a halt. Euphemia holds him against her and he regrets reality, lips pressing over his, a hand has smoothed fingers and closed minded digits across his back while the other is a wrist captured by his hand. But she is holding him and he is upon her, near her, because she has drawn him close. It was not he who made this decision, because he has always been the one to be making the decisions, the change in command for _them_ is all that she'll ever have because it's something he must admit to being powerless over (her).

"Lelouch," while his younger sister's voice reminds him of birds and bells and all that is gentle, Euphemia's voice is like the sea, soothing. Tempered, changing the tides come in and come out, rise and fall, controlled by the moon- then is Lelouch the- (moon).

He wants to reply, to say anything but her name back, like a poor lost sap, but caught, the pinned butterfly (inspection, termination) and back then Suzaku is asking him ("Euphy! You call her that?" his bright eyes, olives the same shade of green and widened, hands openly empty at his sides, Lelouch's mouth sharp, response quick without little stutter- though it was there, "Of course! W-we're siblings after all, Nunnally calls her such as well." Nunnally as well. And Lelouch closed the matter as quickly as it had come.) So he doesn't say anything at all and as soft as her mouth, kisses her back.

"You- don't trust me at all do you?"

"Why do you say that?" inching, further closer, over her brow, the edge of the face, the cheek, the neck, and that hand that held the wrist cups at her elbow and then the hip, delicate and rounded beneath silken layers, her face turns from his in the notion of keeping a sound from escaping (the bitten lip, and it's not him that has bitten it but herself because come action comes consequence.)

"Because," and it does escape her, seeped and delicate, like wine though not the deeper shade of red and his fingers ache at the idea of touching wetness, though they are concealed. Their skin barely touches the other then, fabrication lies between them in too many layers. "You thought I would shoot you just because you threatened me."

Stilly, he becomes and flicked lash she looks to him with complete inquiry, "Lelouch?"

A laugh bubbles forth from him.

"If I wanted to, I could give you an order you could not refuse."

In parting, a foot, two away. She holds her arms so delicately about her that sometimes he wants to press his hands up under her elbows to give her support.

"Oh?" she starts, blinkingly inquisitive. Even her eyelashes were the same shade as her hair, but he's not the best to tell such things in the dark, he turns away from her, a flickering flourish of the edge of his cape.

"For instance, 'fire Suzaku, shoot me', anything that you yourself would not usually do, my words would make you do it."

Her laughter is like summer air, bright and a light that is actually heavy, "You're such a joker."

"No, for instance if I said-" and it comes second thought, the darker first one, did he really need to say it? Morbid, and raw, it hangs about his mouth wanting to be said. Instead he hears his voice crack a little, at the restrained _should be_ taking a turn upon to be the _what if_, "-'marry me.' You'd have no choice but to marry me."

There's always that second between you and the fall, it is in that second that she looks taken aback and flustered, as if she will refute his words, as if she has many things to say in so little time- and it is interrupted. She takes a step forward. What Lelouch is expecting is her smile, nostalgic of the past, she had argue over this with Nunnally- she would laugh. It would be over; she has Suzaku now, his best friend, his last friend. His and Euphemia's little tryst, their reunion, it is over after they are out of the seclusion of this dark, this very room. They had stopped nearly the same as they had begun. She's destroying him. She's destroying the Black Knights.

"I-" and the smile he receives is not the smile he had expected, her words catch him by surprise and hold him there almost indefinably, "accept!"

Sweat is disdainful about his brow, he takes a step back himself, almost stuttering but finding breath faster than- "What, but Euph-"

It is the Geass. He has used it. A hand touches over his eye in surprise, a mixture of rational horror and elation. To Euphy, something like this- girls, marriage, this sort of thing, and it's her echoing footsteps he hears, her calling out "Oh! I should tell them." More the exclamation than a question, Lelouch scoops up and tucks away the gun, donning on his mask to follow through, "Wait, Euphy!"

He follows her out, and she is already at the mike, arms extended. Darlton questions her rush to speak unattended and unintended words, two guards block his way, he must stop her, he- and she is speaking, kindly in answer to Darlton, "I have very happy and surprising news."

Darlton stands down, but he is not the least expectant at the words that are to come from her mouth, that this is to be broadcasted- "Everyone!"

Addressing every Japanese, every person, the very world if you will, with a joy that only a distinguished bride to be could muster. 'Move!' he wants to say, and use the very eye that has gotten him in this situation (them in this situation) to begin with, but adding oil to the fire has never stopped a fire before. Her words are all the more capable in being speedier anyway.

The fall-

"Zero and I are to be married!"

-comes. People stand up in their seats, others remain seated through weakness of shock, betrayal, disgust, envy, joy, or enlightenment, there are too many people to pin one colour on the lot of them. A murmur, an ocean of growing ever louder talk erupts about them, Darlton looks like he's having a heart attack, and Kirihara near the same (muttering what he was going to do with Kaguya, oh-) the still Britannian Princess does not cease. She continues forward, extending her voice louder with the electronic assistance over the chatter, ever smiling, her arms and hands reaching forward- "And you're all invited to the wedding!"

By this time the guards that had held him back are too weak in shock, a Princess of their Holy Empire was going to marry... a masked terrorist? Insane! They were dreaming, they were high; they had died on the battle field.

Lelouch- Zero reaches her, placing a hand on her shoulder, her arms drop and pleasantly fold before her, others hush in the suspense that Zero will elaborate sense onto what they have just heard, and Lelouch- forgetting himself, addresses her first and not them, "Euphy-"

A cry erupts, it is true, it's been true the whole time, Zero had been in this for marriage, but then others said it was love, it was the princess how could he not love her, and others cynical and pessimistic against the others, and the people in the middle who just sat there and didn't think of it a matter at all. What was it to them, they had gotten part of their Japan back and would no longer be discriminated against, what was a wedding to them? An old lady approaches earnestly, her nervous daughter-in-law trying to tug her back; she looks up at Zero, then Euphemia and asks, "What sort of wedding gift would you like?"

Lelouch finds that he wants to rip off his mask and throw it against the wall and then repeat the process with his own head. While Euphemia is kindly informing the grandmother that her attendance to the wedding would be a gift in itself! Lelouch looks around for C.C., eyes trailing over to Gawain and spotting a dazedly waking Suzaku rising. He's not sure which is making it worse, Suzaku coming to his senses (he had been knocked out? When?) Or the fact that Euphemia had taken his arm with her own and was linking them together implying- he starts to pull her away, they need to get out of here, _he_ needs to get out of here.

"Please do come!" she calls over the mike, waving, others cheerily waving back and saying they'll come for sure! Other's still wondering what sort of wedding gift would be appropriate, and the more hurt sitting in their seat with their knees folded about them muttering and whispering about themselves all over again.

--

Despite that she has no idea what has happened, the Special Administration Zone of Japan had been established, and they side by side had done it. For peace, for happiness. Its worth, alights her eyes and she forgets when it is all done and through and people are milling out and she in the back, looking and wondering why, and how. Looking upon the screen of the recorded ceremony that Cornelia had seen live and is now rushing with her Knights to see what is to be done, that the Black Knights now were watching over, some listening over radio now understanding why Zero had called them back (Kallen is aghast, and Ohgi must hold back a raving Tamaki in her place).

And it is because Zero asks to be alone with her, that they are alone, and she asks him, after watching over it (it was really her), voice soft and smaller than he has ever heard it, "Are we really to marry?"

In reply, his masked face, body, expression all warped by standstill.

"Yes."

--

_In the next chapter_, the Britannian side holds an engagment party for Euphemia and Zero, who are still both coming to terms with said engagement. The nobles wonder over Euphemia's pending status as a princess. Cornelia is one angry _onee-sama_. Suzaku mulls over his place as Euphemia's Knight and Kallen mulls over what Zero is to her. While C.C. orders pizza and tells the Black Knights to chill, because if you're not shooting someone in this organization you're freaking out on whether you should be.


	2. Chapter 2

a/n: Sorry about the fact this took what. Five months? I actually finished half of it a while ago but never got to finish the rest of it until. Well, now apparently. A lot has gone on in my life since then. School started. I got a job. Code Geass R2 ended. Hetalia stole my heart. ;___;

Thank you for all your reviews, favourites, etc. I hope you enjoy this overdue chapter!

_I'll go on loving someone else_ **; PG13 - romance/drama/humour - Lelouch x Euphemia**

"Chapter two - underhanded backlash"

Milly Ashford, also lovingly (very... lovingly) known as 'president' was heaving what one would call a -'parental sigh'. It was just her and Rivalz now. Kallen was gone, which meant Lelouch was gone, which meant Shirley was gone and that should have been the end of it but Nina was gone too! She taps an old dance announcement flier against her chin, feigning to be doing important upcoming paper work, but with so little workers it was hard to get anything done. And she is concerned.

She has every right to be.

"Where is everyone?!" Rivalz asks, hands skeptic at the sides of his head as he scanned the empty seats.

Milly slaps the flier down on the table, determination streaking through her eyes, Rivalz looking over edging-like as if expecting some sparkling explosion (it wouldn't be the first time) "Right."

She pinned him down with a fierce look, "I hereby put all our duties as student council on hold," (They could get chased down by that _wonderful _horse racing club later) "Until all our members appear once again!" a striking fist in the air he wasn't sure if he should mimic her so he just kept his mouth closed.

She smiled this time, both hands on the desk as she leaned to where he was sitting, "Firsts first, we're going to see how Nina is doing."

There was some flailing movement, "Me too?" Rivalz asks, and Milly nods. Some girl to girl talk wasn't really useful if they didn't get all the perspectives down; even if she was doing it wrong- the shoe still sorta fits, right?

"Of course!" she chirps out as if they're going on a picnic, Rivalz catches on to the sentiment and asks if they should pack some sandwiches.

--

Things.

Were certainly not going his way any longer. That is what Zero thought as he and Euphemia left their individual "knights" (Suzaku looking at him sternly before worriedly soft at Euphemia, "Is this alright?" and Kallen even more sternly than Suzaku but never soft, just a telltale tremble of the brow wanting to ask the same to Zero and he telling her "Do not worry.") So here he was, the collapse of Black Knights semi-prominent with the Special Administration Zone of Japan established, but titter-tottering with the prospect of Zero marrying the very Princess who had organized it to begin with, did that mean she recognized the Black Knights as a legit group, the very champions of justice they said they were? She had after all given this bit of "Japan" back to them- people, everyone was saying, wondering.

Euphemia and he were going up this elevator alone, the air of their last encounter alone ringing on his senses. His fists clench steadily beneath the cloak. All the essence of startled when the elevator shuddered to a halt, the lights blinking off. "What?"

It's a little ironic the first thing that comes to his mind is 'terrorists?' Surely the Black Knights weren't trying to pull something to "free" their leader from the dreadful ceremony that was to come. The necessary "engagement party" the Britannian facture had been so intent on the couple receiving.

Before he can inquire to Euphemia what might happened, she looks over to him, her arm falling from where her hand had hovered over the controls. The thought that she had stopped the elevator...

"Lelouch."

And her gaze is wavering and strongly held on him.

Her hands outreach and touch at his mask, one second, two, waiting for him to protest, the light shut off, the power off within their little elevator going up. Any camera that could have been no longer watches, no one could see him here. And she pulls off his mask, holds it before her as if it is a delicate, fragile cargo. Her pale fingertips smearing upon the glass, slick sides. Lelouch tugs the black fabric over his face, down.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asks, almost kindly, but still with an almost weariness as if he has been waiting.

"I-I..." Euphemia starts, brow creased and mouth frowning, her palms feel slick, "I still don't understand, why I- why we are-"

"Going to be married?"

She nods, as if her head was been placed upon a sore neck.

Why indeed, so softly, as if nothing at all is the matter he smiles slightly at her, a gloved hand reaching over to cup at her face, making her vaguely reminiscent of her older sister, Cornelia, whom she is worried about now, that something catches at the edges of her eyes.

"I, the truth is-" she doesn't want to tell him, tell him she doesn't mind, she wants to marry him. Her older half brother whom she used to play tag with, pick flowers with, watch the stars with (and everyone else, Nunnally, Lady Marianne-) wants to and has always wanted to since she was a young girl- still now she... but should they be getting married just because she wishes it, and should it just be a means to an end, she knows Lelouch would do it.

He is articulate, calculative, and thoughtful in all that he does. But for once she does not want him to put anything upon scales, though she knows it is not in his nature not to do so.

She simply wants him to want her like she wants him. Just-

"Euphemia. Euphy."

His hands cup her face wholly now.

Leaning forward and-

-he gets on one knee.

Taking her hand in his, gloved, dark gloves under her slim pale hand, "Do you think I ever do what I don't want to do? Am I such a man?"

She shakes her head through her bared teeth, holding back what could only be a half sob a half bit of reminiscent laughter that he is far more familiar with.

"No, Lelouch."

(No, Zero.)

His smile relaxes, and feels genuine, though inside he is jumbled. This is an equation he cannot solve his way through step by step. As he is unsure which steps are to be- should be taken. And hesitant he wishes not to make up one probable solution after another. That is the real problem with him and Euphemia. Like when he takes her hand, or his gaze catches hers, a snippet of her words caught in his ears. Numbers and letters are shaken.

(He once bought Nunnally a puzzle for some unreasonable holiday that he always used as an excuse to buy her gifts; he thought that being able to touch the pieces she would be able to figure out the puzzle itself. On this same concept he had purchased a blank puzzle since it was shape not scene that mattered he thought, however when Nunnally had finished the puzzle she had asked him "What does it looked like, brother?"

He had made a mistake then.

And spent all evening describing an intricate picture that did not even exist. An ideal scene that he knew she would love.

Embarrassingly a few days later Sayoko somehow let it slip that she had informed Nunnally the puzzle blank even before she had finished it, to which he had to later confess and apologise for the real visage of the puzzle to her. Nunnally had only replied-

"What are you talking about? Is the puzzle not beautiful like you said?")

Even though that had happened, Lelouch still could not stop the words tumbling from his mouth. Perhaps it was a habit he had picked up from being Zero. Or perhaps this was him not wanting to let her down. Or maybe, he too had always-

"Then know that I would only marry you because I wish to."

He kisses at her hand, from the knuckles, to the wrist before taking the wrist in hand and rising, gathers her into an embrace. "Are you all right now?"

In answer she kisses him.

(He's not sure if it's himself he's lying to or her. But-)

--

Suzaku is watching Kallen from the corner of his eye. They watch as the elevator with their masters, rises up. And then with shocked start from Kallen, he sees that it has stopped. He can tell Kallen wants to rush right away to help Zero, but he holds an arm against her. Many of the public have now flocked to stare at the building that was to hold a most important, controversial party that would decide the fate of Area 11 and it did none to alarm them. Plus, only the elevator had stopped, had it been a group of terrorists (which was laughable, now that the Black Knights were on 'their side' which terrorist group could possibly get by the Britannian Empire and their better peers?) the power in the entire building would been turned off. Suzaku could only surmise that the elevator had stopped because one of its passengers had- (he must push it away, the thought that Zero is going to try something, that Zero might do something in the dark, that he might- but no, if he did, even for all his tricks, the Britannians above him that he would meet when the elevator reached to top would not be welcoming should he show up 'by himself') which meant Princess Euphemia had to be the one to stop the elevator, and since she trusted Zero so... surely Suzaku could too.

Kallen gives him an almost sour look, surely coming to similar conclusions.

But both now remain tense and on alert.

--

She's hurriedly putting her clothes back in place, clean, fashionable order that is befitting of her still Princess status (as it dangles, held up in the air-) just as the elevator door clicks open. Zero's mask in place and Lelouch calm as ever as if they hadn't been necking the last few seconds before- after he had pressed her against the wall, accidentally made her turn back on the power. A sleight hand, groping at the surface behind her as if to release the tension, the heat, with her tongue in his mouth and his hand in her hair-

And in a rush they had to act fast, Lelouch had ducked his head, swiftly and appropriately fixing in place the crucial necessities in helping hide his identity. However while he may hide behind a long dark cloak, Euphemia had no such luxury, and hands clasped before her hoping to look natural in her rushed flush faced the greeting crowd with what only could be called 'true noble dignity'. This was all done well, against the bright lights that aligned the room, the business and political associates all still from milling around with wait, patches of the over protective military among them, tables to sit at and eat (though they all knew most people preferred to just sit and sip wine while trying not to be overheard spreading gossip), the city view below from the window breathtaking (disgusting! Kallen's voice rings in his head, the structure of Britannia's enslavement of the Japanese, the blemish of their indignity-) this was all there was until a distinct figure sat up sharp and to kill, as if this is a game of quick draw and by just approaching she has already won.

Cornelia.

"Zero!" are her first angry words, as if that could have been her first cry as she left the womb. You would have thought Zero her born enemy, as if always always he were to be this. And perhaps he always had, since the day he had met soft Euphemia, her catching friendly presence trying to draw him away from behind his mother's skirts as he tried to think up an excuse to leave aside from the real one ("I want to see Nunnally, mother-" "Not now Lelouch.") and get away from that over flowing smile, what was there so darn much to smile about? And Cornelia then with her arms crossed, not sure she had quite liked her little sister, just up to her hip now, too interested in Marianne's son. Though she did admire the Lady Marianne, her son was a different story. For then it had involved Euphy.

But Cornelia knows none of this, knows not the complications that lay beneath the mask, and if she had-

She probably would not have acted any differently.

And only it would be 'Lelouch!' she may cry out instead of-

"_Zero!_"

Violet locks, curling and splayed over one shoulder, she is decked out in her usual militant wear, if only she had been born a Knight than a princess her fisting hands would bear different nobility than just royal and arrogance. A fierce protectiveness to her lady, but it is to her sister. And she is a princess.

From her hand she peels her white glove and throws if before his feet, just as they walk from the elevator, the steel silver doors closing behind them without so much as a click.

"Coward!" as if Zero's name had not been insult enough for Cornelia to say, distaste marking her every feature- "Fight me!"

Breath hung still, like it had been born there to begin with- "I will not stand for this offense against my sister, her honour is-"

"Something she would rather fight for herself."

Is Euphemia's reply as she bends down, locks of hair sweeping before her, before Zero can make any other move aside from the stuttered hand which is tucked back away as quickly as it had emerged. Zero having the full intent to accept the duel. However Euphemia could not allow that. Cornelia was only doing this in her best interest, because on the only level she could believe- she could not accept that her sister would want to marry Zero on any basis of her own desire. The murderer of their brother Clovis. A threat to their nation. A terrorist.

Her little sister is self sacrificing in that she wishes to prove herself to the world that she could do something, anything for those she loves. Her family. Her people. Cornelia understands that a shadow has been cast upon Euphemia though Cornelia has fought all her life to only allow rays of gentle sunshine to light her world. It is through this that the shadow has been cast, her own doing.

Euphemia rises, and Zero thinks she has never been more graceful, never been more just Euphy in that moment, her own hand fisting within it her older sister's white glove.

"I accept."

Cornelia feels like her heart might as well stop being as she thinks that Euphemia might be saying those similar words one day ahead, only to the man besides her and before an altar.

---

_In the next chapter_, Cornelia tries to find a way to convince Euphemia not to duel with her as they sort out their strong feelings. Milly and Rivalz see to what's become of Nina. Lelouch wonders if he should tell Nunnally that he is engaged to Euphemia and thus reveal that he is Zero. Cecile bakes Suzaku a-what one can only wonder is actually a pie (Llyod spares his opinion of "not" for the sake of his life and pursuit of happiness). C.C. tells the Black Knights to keep chillin' and tells Kallen to order her more pizza. Kallen surmises shooting must be done if C.C. says "with extra sausage" to her one more time.


End file.
